Manufacturers are responsible for one third of the total energy use in the U.S., giving them tremendous power to reduce the nation’s total energy expenditure. As a result of this MOU, NAM will challenge its member organizations to reduce their energy use by 10% or more. With energy conservation of this magnitude, manufacturers would save nearly 10.4 billion dollars and enough energy to power 10 million American homes for a year.

This agreement will be closely tied to EPA’s ENERGY STAR Challenge program, a voluntary initiative that promotes energy efficiency to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. According to the MOU, EPA will provide guidance and a variety of tools to assist manufacturers in their quest for energy efficiency, including:

Tools for energy management program development guidance and management

Listings of energy service and product providers

Energy program design consultation

End-user networks (organized by industrial sector)

Web-based energy management trainings

Formal recognition of energy performance achievements

Products which have earned the ENERGY STAR

Education, training, awareness and communication campaigns

NAM intends to spread the message of the ENERGY STAR Challenge to its members, promoting reduced energy use through energy tracking and goal setting, as well as the use of ENERGY STAR resources. NAM has also pledged to help the EPA track energy use among manufacturers, evaluating the performance of this initiative based upon several metrics, including:

Number of manufacturers using the portal successfully

Number and percentage of participating companies with a defined energy management program as defined by USEPA

Number and percentage of participating companies having established energy savings goals and showing progress in attaining these goals

Annual BTU savings

Annual carbon savings

Achievements with the ENERGY STAR Challenge

The MOU between NAM and the EPA is available for public review here on the NAM website.